A Pie-Less Thanksgiving

I love the Pilgrims who held the first Thanksgiving, especially those who continued the feast year after year. What other holiday calls for celebrating by bustling about the kitchen, cooking and baking all day? Thanksgiving and I were a match made in heaven.

Even better, I’m partaking in three of them this year! The first feast was yesterday. A friend attending a potluck needed something to bring. Because said friend knows as much about baking as I know about cars (aka nada), I eagerly offered to mix up a dessert.

And what is Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? Creamy, cinnamon-y, and delicious, no traditional dinner is complete until you consume a fat slice topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

But since I’m helping in three Thanksgivings, I wanted to shape up traditions and look at other pumpkin options. You won’t miss the pie with these cookies around! On the very small chance that any of them survive to be leftovers, they’ll be gone long before any of the turkey or stuffing.

These taste like pumpkin pie in a cookie form! Don’t put these in an airtight container; they have so much moisture that they turn mushy. They’ll be fine on the counter for a few days, if they last that long!

¼ c. butter, softened

1 c. granulated sugar

½ c. light brown sugar

1 egg

1¼ c. canned pumpkin purée

1 tsp vanilla extract

2½ c. flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Add in the remaining ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared pans. Bake, 1 pan at a time, for 15-20 min. Cool on the pan for 5-8 min, then remove to a wire rack to continue cooling. Reline the pans with more parchment paper for the remaining cookie dough as necessary.

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